Filmmaker Yash
Chopra, who passed away on Sunday evening at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital,
will be cremated on Monday afternoon.
"From 9 a.m. to 12 noon, people can come
in at the Yash Raj Films studio in suburban Andheri to pay their
condolences. He (Chopra) will be cremated at 3 p.m.at Chandan Wadi," a
YRF spokesperson told reporters.
Chopra had been in Lilavati
Hospital since October 13 after he was diagnosed with dengue. The
80-year-old director died today following multi-organ failure.
"He
passed away due to dengue and multiple organ failure today evening. He
was in the ICU," Lilavati Hospital spokesperson Dr Sudhir told
reporters.
Yash Chopra, an institution in himself spent a life
doing what he loved and that was to spread romance through some of his
masterpieces he created in the form of love epics like ‘Silsila’,
‘Chandni’, ‘Lamhe’, ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ and ‘Veer Zaara’.
Yash
Chopra's career spanned over five decades with more than 50 films under
his belt. Yash Chopra had won several film awards, including six
National Film Awards and eleven Filmfare awards including four Filmfare
Award for Best Director. The Government of India honoured him with the
Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2005 for his
contributions towards Indian cinema.
The legend was working on
his last film called ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ which is scheduled to release
this Diwali. During the shooting of JTHJ, Yash Chopra’s trip to
Switzerland with SRK and Katrina (lead actors in the film) had to be
cancelled after he was admitted to Lilavati hospital.
Post his illness, the director handed over the mantle to his son Aditya Chopra to shoot few last portions of the film.
A
string of celebrities including Dilip Kumar and his wife Saira Banu,
Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, visited the hospital to pay their last
respect to the legendary director.
India's political fraternity also paid homage to the departed filmmaker.
Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh described Chopra as an "icon of Indian cinema"
who entertained generations with his rare creativity.
"He had an
aesthetic talent to make his films look larger than life. His flourish
to essay romance and social drama was unmatched. He established the
popularity of Indian cinema internationally and was honoured by many
governments.
He will be remembered by millions of his fans around
the world and his work as a director and producer will be treasured by
the nation for many more generations," Singh said.
Information
and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said: "Today Indian cinema has
lost one of its iconic personalities and a creative genius. Through
films, Yashji connected generations together. His idea of portraying
love as the essence of life and relationships will fondly be remembered
by all movie lovers. His death is a void which will be difficult to
fill."
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla:
"I am saddened by the passing away of Yash Chopra. Today we all pay
tribute to him and I feel not only the Indian film industry has lost a
shining star but also the world film industry.
A railway station
in Switzerland is named after him. He took the Indian film industry to
the world. His contribution, the Indian government and neither the
Indian people will ever forget."
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
leader Yashwant Sinha said: "I am shocked to hear about the passing away
of Yash Chopra ji. I had got to know him personally and he was a great
friend. One enjoyed his company immensely. When I was growing up in my
younger days I remember the best films that I saw were films made by
him. He was a legend; his passing away is a great loss not only to the
film industry but also to the country as a whole."
Film director Ramesh Sippy said: "We have stayed together with each other. I was shocked by the news."
Another
film director Madhur Bhandarkar said: "A few days ago news had come in
that he was recovering and he would be back to work. Everyone was
waiting for his film to release. It has been quite shocking for all of
us."
Actor Jackie Shroff said: "It is sad that Yashji has passed
away. He was one of the biggest directors of our industry. After coming
here I got to hear the news. I express my condolences to his family, and
I shall go there straight from here."
Fashion designer Nita
Lulla said: "It is a great loss to the industry and to all of us whose
lives Yashji has touched. I think we are going to miss him a lot because
he was one of the biggest mentors of the film industry. And he has been
a father to lot of us technicians and to a lot of fabulous films, and
it is definitely a great loss. And I pray for him and his family."
Model
Lisa Haydon said: "I think it is always sad when you lose a creative
genius and someone who has done so much for our country and our films
and changing the ways that people perceive Indian cinema. So it is a
very sorry thing that he passed away. I actually haven't had a chance to
put on the TV, but my friends here told me about it. So my best wishes
to him and his family."
Actor Vidyut Jamwal said: "I think in
the recent times this is the biggest loss for Bollywood. Apart from him
being a legend and a genius, he was one of the nicest people that I have
been told about. The kind of loss that Hindi cinema has sustained from
this, I think it is difficult for such a man to be born in India again."